Luton Town have secured the signing of versatile defender and midfielder Hakeem Odoffin, with manager Matt Bloomfield hailing the former Rotherham United skipper as a “real leader” both on and off the pitch.
Part of a triple signing with Nahki Wells and Nigel Lonwijk, the 27-year-old arrives at Kenilworth Road as a free agent after turning down a new contract at Rotherham, where he captained the side and was named both supporters’ and players’ player of the season for 2024/25.
Capable of playing at centre-back, right-back or in defensive midfield, Odoffin adds experience, leadership and flexibility to Bloomfield’s squad as the Hatters look to strengthen their spine ahead of the new campaign.
“Hakeem is a real leader and someone I’ve been aware of for a number of years,” Bloomfield told the club’s website. “I know the club have been following him closely as well.
“He knows the level, knows how to win at the level and he can play in a variety of positions in defence and midfield, which absolutely helps. He is someone who we feel can have the personality and character to have a real impact for us.”
Born in Barnet, Odoffin came through the academies at Tottenham and Reading before joining his local club Barnet, where he made his senior debut in the FA Cup as a teenager. A move to Wolves followed in 2016, including a loan spell at Eastleigh, before permanent stints with Northampton, Livingston and Hamilton gave him valuable league and Premiership experience north of the border.
His move to Rotherham in 2021 brought success straight away, helping the Millers to promotion from League One and lifting the EFL Trophy in his first season. He went on to make 140 appearances for the club, scoring 16 goals and becoming a respected figure in South Yorkshire.
Last season, Odoffin played 52 times and found the net seven times as Rotherham battled in League One, with his performances catching the attention of clubs higher up the pyramid.
“He’s a London boy and he’s been away from home for a number of years,” added Bloomfield. “When I met him a week or two ago, he’d been home to see his mum and he had a big smile on his face, so it’s nice when it seems to fit at the right stage of his life and his career. He was ready for a new challenge and we are really pleased to get him.”
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